Tyler Durman Inspires Kranz Students and Families

Tyler Durman Inspires Kranz Students and Families

Kranz Intermediate School welcomed back Tyler Durman, a highly sought after motivational speaker, author and giver of hope who encouraged the 7th and 8th grade students to live better stories by caring for each other, making good choices and becoming positive leaders.
This was Durman’s second time presenting at Kranz where his motivational speeches were well-received last year by the students and their families. Best known for his ability to offer wisdom through laughter and storytelling, Durman shared humorous and heartfelt stories that inspired the students to make good choices and live incredible stories, regardless of their past or where they are now.
“Our choices write our story and it’s never too late to rewrite your story through positive choices,” said Durman. “Life is tough and the truth is no matter who you are or where you live we all need each other because we all do stupid things sometimes. What kind of person do you want to be? We all have the ability to do great good or do great harm and it’s better to be kind and make a positive difference but sometimes our choices take us in the wrong direction. What you need to remember is that making bad choices or mistakes is not the end of the world, mistakes teach us stuff and we can shift direction toward the better choices.”
Durman had the full attention of the 7th and 8th graders as he shared stories of students who triumphed over adversity and he had the students laughing and thinking of how they handle difficult situations.
“If you are hurting or going through a tough time you don’t need to feel alone,” said Durman. “Reach out to a teacher, coach, friend or family member and share your feelings. Don’t bury your pain. If you do it will eat you up and ruin your life. We all want to feel loved and safe and there is a fear of rejection so sometimes we pretend everything is OK on the outside but on the inside we are a mess,” he added. “You’re a family at Kranz and everyone here wants you to succeed and be well.”
Jessica Feld-Perez, School Psychologist enjoyed Durman’s presentation and felt it was very beneficial to the students.
“Tyler's presentation went over well with the students. Through his humor and heartfelt stories, he conveyed to them that he understood what it's like to be a young teen, which made them more open to his message of being kind to others,” she said. “I will be sharing the success of the assembly with our school counselors so that we can continue to bring Tyler's positive message to all schools.”
In addition to the student assemblies, a parent assembly was held in the evening providing parents and family members the chance to hear Durman’s important message. The author of several books including Counterintuitive, What 4 Million Teenagers Wish We Knew (for parents and teachers), Durman encouraged the parents to let their teen children have freedom.
“Freedom has to be earned and not just given. We as parents need to be bigger than our own kids because if we’re not, and we remain at the same level like teens, they will not respect us as adults or as parents,” he said. “As adults and parents we must be able to accept our own faults and not be afraid to say sorry to our kids when we mess up. We have to be excellent models for our kids to help them make good choices.”
Miguel Caishpal, Kranz’s Community Liaison appreciated the message Durman was sharing with the parents and knows it will provide great insight as they raise their teens.
“Something I thought was important that Tyler mentioned was that we should never discipline our kids when we are mad. It’s better to let things cool down before we discipline our kids. The parents enjoyed listening to Tyler and how he plugged in comedy and humor into his message. A lot of parents purchased his book and he even autographed it for them.”
“We greatly appreciate Mr. Durman coming out to Kranz again this year. He did a great job of tying in the message he gave to our students to what he shared with our parents and he really drove home the important point of making good choices and being kind to each other,” said Sean Grycel, Kranz Principal. “He also reinforced the fact that if you have a bad beginning or a bad season you don’t have to have a bad ending, your situation can change if you reach out to others when you are in need. There is always hope no matter what you’re going through or what you’re up against. We are a family at Kranz and we care deeply about our students and want them to be happy and successful now, and in the future. I know Mr. Durman’s powerful message had a tremendous impact on our students and will continue to influence them throughout the years,” Grycel added.